Friday, June 30, 2006

Its been a whole week since I've blogged...I was about to go through withdrawals! So, here's the news according to me. New Orleans was really fun, I had a ball. The conference was great, saw some great programs, attended some fantastic parties and came away with some really good loot. Including some signed books, posters, a lime green feather boa and a harmonica!

Flew to Atlanta. Bags flew to Philly. Sigh. A day in hubby's hometown and then to the beach! Having a wonderful time here. Grandma, Grandpa, Great-Grandpa, Aunt, Uncle, Uncle and Grandfriends Hank &Laney. And the dogs...Dixie, Gus, Traveller, Louie and Millie. Oh and Great-Grandpa's dog Speckles. Flash has enjoyed moving the sand at the beach one shovelful at a time. Grandma has great toys and is an amazing cook. What a time we are having. And we are celebrating Grandma and Granpa's 35 year anniversary too.When I get another free moment I'll elaborate about New Orleans as promised. There are some things to say but I remain adamant that New Orleans is a vibrant vacation spot that will rebound in spades and is well on its way!

Friday, June 23, 2006

From the Revgals...1. Ice cream: for warm weather only or a year-round food? Year round but possibly better in summer.2. Favorite flavor - Rocky Road or something else chocolate with "stuff" in it.3. Cake cone, sugar cone, waffle cone, cup? a big bowl please, and a real spoon4. Childhood ice-cream memory Hmmmm. There's a wonderful place in Cape Cod called the Sundae School that I remember. My mom went on a date, with us kids when we were young and the fellow took us all to Howard Johnson's and he had the Monster Sundae that was served in a bucket! WE had kid's sundaes which was a huge treat for us but it was so amazing watching this man "put it away". But mostly I will reiterate that my family loves ice cream cake and sereves it at every possible occaision.5. Banana splits: Never had...willing to try.

About New Orleans... I am having a ball. As a vacation and conference city, New Orleans is doing Great. I saw a little bit of the destruction and trailers on my way to the hotel and yes, its very sad. But everyone I have met is positive, friendly and glad to see us! If you've been waiting to come to New Orleans...stop waiting and come on down y'all. They'll be glad to see you too.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

I'm off to New Orleans tomorrow to attend the big Librarian's conference. I am told we are the first big conference they've had since the hurricane. 20,000+I'll be sure to let you all know how it goes!

ps...Tomorrow is the big switching day. I leave and Hubby returns while Flash is at daycare. He's been sad the past few days. I wonder how he'll react to this. We'll all meet up in Atlanta on Tuesday. Hooray!

Monday, June 19, 2006

He's been gone to GA for a week. And won't be back until Thursday. We have a two-year-old and two large dogs in our little apartment. I can figure out the parenting stuff alright. I can do the working and daycare. I can do the housework, sorta.I have a hard time with the dog-walking combined with two-year-old chasing. I have a hard time showering when he's awake. I have a hard time being up until 11 with house stuff, then up at 12:30 for a nightmare and then at 4:30 for milk and snuggles and then getting to daycare and work on time. But I decided that between pick-up at daycare and bedtime, that time is our time together. So, maybe some cooking and dog walking but no laundry, dishes or paperwork. We have taken some nice walks, some down to throw rocks into the canal, some with Bear or Baby Monkey in the wagon with a blanket and paci and a quite a few down to the big road to watch the cars. We've eaten lots of Chicken Noodle soup and peanut butter, his favorites. We've watched some Bob the Builder together. We've played at the playground until our faces flushed bright pink and are so dirty we needed to go home for bathtime. We went to the library and the farm store on Saturday. We've talked to the whole family on the phone...but especially Daddy.

I am working on far to little sleep and here comes this meem from the revgals to remind me of it. So I'll down a little more Diet Coke and type...1. In what kind of environment do you sleep best?Cool, with blankets, dark, quiet, nightshirt, on the left facing out, hubby on his side, not snoring(yeah, right).

2. How much sleep do you need to feel consistently well-rested?How much can you get by on?What are the consequences when you don't get enough?Would like 8, Need 7, Get 6-7 most of the time. Cranky and very forgetful when tired.

4. Favorite cure for insomnia/bedtime routine.Haven't had insomnia since I was a teenager. But I like to go to bed happy so I often watch the Whose Line is it Anyway (AbcFamily) show at 10 before I go to bed.

5. To snooze or not to snooze? Why or why not?I am not a snoozer but Hubby is. I have been learning the joys of snoozing for quite a few years now. My current alarm clock yells "Mama! I wet!" And he has no snooze.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

I am starting my summer reading resolution right now. You are all witnesses.This summer I will read 6 books that I don't want to. Yes, you heard me right! A Classic I Missed, a Genre that I don't normally read, something serious, something someone I love has recommended (yikes!), an adult prize/award winner and umm... another book to be decided later.

Why? As a librarian everyone expects that I read everything, or that I read very literary tomes. Fact is, I have my pet authors, pet genres and "work" reading like everyone else. So, I'm in a rut and I need to get out. I need a challenge! I need to know "of what she speaks".

Why six? Alright...drag the kids away from the computer screen. Research shows that reading just six books during the summer keeps a struggling reader from regressing. I am still looking for the reference for this, forgive me. Am I struggling? Am I regressing? Maybe not in the sense these researchers think, but I will read my six books this summer and count it as mental exercise!

Friday, June 09, 2006

Flash is ahem, an energetic two-year-old, and thankfully we have a wonderful nursery at our tiny church. At three, he's supposed to go to worship and leave after the Children's sermon for church school. The Children's sermon is often an age-appropriate version of the adult sermon.Sometimes I do them :)

Occasionally, we bring him in after the sermon to listen to the hymns and participate a bit. But he can be so disruptive to us and others, so we are introducing him slowly. A child of the same age attends in a similar fashion and is somehow able to handle it better. She is known to interject church appropriate things like "Jesus loves me, he's in heaven", and emphatic Amens.

MY child wants more communion bread and juice (we pass). He will run ANY object along the pews with a vroom car sound. Hymnals and crayons (church provided) don't mix!

I'd really like him to be in church. I just don't think he is ready for formal public worship.Thanks to http://www.lutheranzephyr.com for the idea. He was our neighbor once-upon-a-time.

The revgals have said it best. It has been a very, very, very rainy spring.It is hard to think of anything else.Today's Friday Five asks, then, five questions about rain, all intended to help us look on the bright side of life. Let a smile be your umbrella!!

1. Favorite way to spend a rainy day:Sleeping, making pancakes, Cuddling up in my chair with a blanket, cocoa and a book or movie, followed by a walk stamping in puddles with Flash and Hubby and looking for rainbows.

2. Favorite song about rainIts Raining Men? Hey, its catchy!

3. Favorite movie featuring rainAbsolutely has to be Singin' in the Rain. Singing! Dancing! Good clean fun!For a book though, it has to be Thundercake by Patricia Polacco. A young girl bakes a special cake with her Grandmother that must be in the oven before the rain comes. In her haste she forgets her fear of thunder. The recipe is provided, and although unusual, it is delicious.4. Favorite piece of raingear, past or presentI had one of those see-through kid's umbrellas when I was young. That was wonderful.

5. Favorite word for rainMy grandfather has the word mizzle, which is a combination of mist and drizzle. As kids we called storms Thunderboomers!

We had quite a storm last week as we were putting Flash to bed. He was rushing from window to window trying to see the "Garbage trucks!". The only frame of reference he had for thunder was the giant garbage trucks dumping the dumpsters outside. I let hubby explain it to him, I was laughing too hard

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

What would I do if I had all the time in the world (in no order)?Play with Flash and HubbyRead whatever I wantCook fun thingsHelp out more in church, neighborhoodWrite that book, some lettersPlay with Flash and HubbyEntertain friends and neighbors twice a weekNap every afternoon, seduce hubbyGo on a road tripLearn Tai Chi and guitarTake up pottery againRead the newspapers on Thursdays (food and garden columns)See some movies, sightseeGive the dogs all the walks they deserveVisit my mom every other weekGo sailing with my Dad

...for about six months and then I'd go back to work, part-time.All play and no work makes hipastorzwife a crazy girl.(special thanks to st. cassreole for the idea)

Monday, June 05, 2006

It'll be hard to post for the next few weeks. Hubby took the laptop with him to ATL. He is up for his candidacy on 06/06/06! Oh, I know it doesn't mean anything, but boy its funny...and anyway once he gets through they'll "backdate" him til March when he met with the CPM.

Next week he's going to General Assembly for a week and a half, so Flash and I are on our own for a little while. My sister, a single mom, is snickering at me. Should be interesting.

ps.. Hubby just called to say that the rental car company didn't have the compact car he'd requested. So they gave him a CADDY! Ha ha! Going in Style!

This week's questions from the revgals are inspired by the various summer films currently in the theaters or soon to be released.

1. If you were a mutant, what superpower ability would you like to have?TELEPORTATION with the ability to bring along other people and objects. Think of all the time I would save by teleporting from home to work to school. It would be good for the environment and so long as I am dreaming, would burn some calories somehow.

2. Tell us about a memorable road trip you've experienced.Sigh. I really need to take a road trip. Um...oh dear. Coming up with nothing. That's so sad.

3. Do you enjoy solving riddles and working on puzzles? If so, what kinds?Yes. But not everyday. I like to do word finds, especially on planes. Sudoku can be fun if you have a solid hour that you really can't do anything better with, and truth-be-told that time is already filled.

4. Take two of your phobias and combine them to make a campy horror/disaster flick. What would it be called?

A doctor's office is no place to visit at midnight.EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!Blood-shot

5. Just how crazy is Tom Cruise, anyway?Very, there is even a website about it. tomcruiseisnuts.com

I haven't seen a movie in a long time. With a babysitter, two tickets and legal snacks a movie now costs about $40, and they have commercials! My netflix subscription is much cheaper and my couch and snacks are better than their crummy movie theater's. But just as air-conditioning and TV have taken people out of public situations, home theaters have isolated us again. How do we combat this? Check around your area for family friendly open-air screenings this summer or invite some friends over to see a movie, like when you were in college. That'll teach em!

But I am interested in seeing X-Men 3. I am told that its very good and has a worthwhile message. And yes...I have seen the other two. I would also like to see Thank you for Smoking because I loved the book by Christopher Buckley and Kinky Boots.Looks like the theater will get some $ out of me after all.